Strip holder



Aria 39421 P. s. ECKMAN- 2,21,236

STRIP. HOLDER Filed July 2, 1940 -INVENTOR. P4 U4. [NE :5: E'CKMA N A TTORNEY Patented Apr. 28, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STRIP HOLDER Pauline S. Eckman, San Francisco, Calif.

Application July 2, 1940, Serial No. 343,629

1 Claim.

This invention relates to equipment for use by dentists.

As is well known, dentists are almost constantly using polishing strips of abrasive material. These strips minutely vary in abrasive qualities from very fine to quite coarse, and all of them must be readily available to the dentist for the immediate selection of the strip or strips that the particular use requires.

It is the object of my invention to provide a holder for such strips which will maintain the strips segregated as to abrasive qualities in a manner making all of the various strips readily available to enable rapid selection thereof without excess handling.

One form which the invention may assume is exemplified in the following description and illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a strip holder embodying the preferred form of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is an end view thereof.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawing, I show a strip holder for use by dentists for making readily available abrasive strips which are frequently used by dentists in their practice. These strips are commercial products and are provided in various widths and in various lengths and are provided in varying degrees of abrasive qualities from quite fine to quite coarse, so that the dentist may select for use the strip having the abrasive quality proper for the particular operation at hand. These strips are used in considerable quantities and all of them must be available for immediate selection by the dentist in order that time may be saved.

The present device contemplates the provision of means to make a number of the strips of each abrasive quality quickly available and readily accessible to the dentist for use, and it comprises a base l0 preferably of suficient dimensions that it will enable strips to be removed from the mechanism carried thereby as will be described.

This mechanism comprises a plurality of longitudinally disposed and parallel shafts l2 which are spaced equal distances apart in a position overlying the base I0 and extending longitudinally thereof. These shafts are suitably journalled in bearing members ll secured to the base I0, as illustrated. One outer end of each shaft is bent in the form of a crank 14 and all of these cranks are connected together by a connecting rod l5 so that reciprocation of this rod will partially revolve the shafts l2. A keeper I6 is carried by the connecting rod IE to engage keeper openings l1 and [8 formed in the base. When the keeper is in the opening H, the shafts are maintained in one position, and when the keeper is removed therefrom and engaged with the keeper opening I8, the shafts are maintained in a second position.

Secured on each shaft 12 is a pair of clip l9 preferably formed of sheet metal with an upraised tang 20 punched from the surface thereof, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, forming a sort of a U-shaped spring clip for reception of the abrasive strips, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

When the keeper I6 is engaged with the opening II, the clips I9 are held in an upraised position so that the strips carried by the clips are readily available for removal and use. When the keeper I6 is engaged with the keeper opening iii, the clips lie fiatwise on top of the base, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. .3 of the drawing. In this position they will be disposed in an unobstructing fashion so that the device may be stored away when not in use.

In practice, I prefer that the strips be arranged on the pairs of clips l9 in the order of their degrees of abrasive quality. However, this is not essential.

I am fully aware that various other mechanical means can be employed for operating the strip holding clips herein discussed, and I, therefore, do not limit myself to this precise arrangement.

From the foregoing it is obvious that I have provided a very efficient device for holding abrasive strips which will maintain the strips segregated as to abrasive qualities and in a manner making readily avail-able all of the strips for use. I have found that the device is a considerable time saver and enables more efilcient selection and handling of the abrasive strips.

While I have shown the preferred form of my invention, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in its construction by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A device of the character described comprising a fiat base, a plurality of shafts arranged in parallelism to each other at spaced distances apart and parallel to the adjacent face of the base and positioned a slight distance above the face of the base, said shafts being rotatably supported at upraised position relative to the face of the base or in a fiatwise position relative to and closely adjacent to the face of the base, and keeper means for maintaining the connecting means in 5 an adjusted position.

PAULINE S. ECKMAN. 

